Real Courage [Complete]

Once Mori and Zale vacated the room, Lila slammed the door after them. The two could hear her feet pounding on the wood floor.

"So, you're Zale."

"You must be Mori. A pleasure to be properly introduced."

Mori hovered in front of Zale's smiling face, calculating what to say next. "What, uh... what did you and Lila talk about?"

Zale joked, "You."

Mori flapped frantically. "What? What did she say about me? It's all lies!"

"Whoa, nothing like that, Mr. Keese. I was only kidding."

"Oh." Mori was silent for a moment. "Then what did you talk about?"

"Bombs came up in the conversation," Zale started. "I told her about a mythical flower that produced bombs."

"A flower that makes bombs? You're lying."

"It's a true legend. Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they don't exist. But it's a secret we bomb-sellers like to keep."

"A secret, huh? Got any other secrets?"

Zale wondered how much Lila told Mori, and how much he should reveal. "Everyone has secrets. If they told their secrets, they wouldn't be secret anymore. Wouldn't you agree?"

Mori didn't answer. He would have to find another way to get information out of Zale. "So, got any family, Zale? Any friends? Any... enemies?"

"Enemies?"

"Or family. Family is fine."

"I don't live with my family. Most of the time I'm traveling."

"You're not running from anything, are you?"

"Why would I be running?" Zale was starting to get nervous about the line of questioning. He wished Lila would hurry up so they could go. "You asked about enemies. Do you and Lila have any enemies?"

Mori chuckled, "What kind of silly question is that?"

"One you asked me. Maybe you're running from something."

"What? No, not me. I'm just here to watch Lila."

"In case she makes a mistake?"

Worry made its way into Mori's voice. "Wha—what gave you that idea? Of course, I don't— I wouldn't— Um..."

"Are you spying on her?"

"Spying? Pff, of course not! Are you spying on her? You ask a lot of questions."

"So do you."

The sound of Lila's feet returned. "You can come in now, I'm decent. Just putting on my boots."

Zale opened the door, ignoring Mori. When he saw Lila, with her wet hair shining like gold thread, his breath caught in his throat. Mori didn't notice as he glided to Lila's side.

"This guy said you told him about me. Is it true? What did you tell him?"

Lila looked at him confused. "What? I didn't say anything about you. You must have heard him wrong. Come on, Zale, I'm starving."

She stomped out the door. Zale smiled at Mori behind her back. "This isn't over," he said.

Zale led Lila up and up and up one of the gorge walls until they were on top. The climb left her out of breath, but the view was worth it. All of Kakariko Village lay before her. On the other side of the wall, she could see the paths of the mine almost like a map. Veins of red rippled through the mountains, along with layers of brown and yellow. The sun lit up the area with a warm glow Lila hadn't seen in Lady Ganondra's realm.

A respectably sized shop was the only building around. Trinkets sat in the front windows, shielded from the sun by two large, leafy plants. They grew almost like vines up to the flat roof. Large windows lined the rest of the building, allowing patrons to enjoy the view from the inside. A single pole with a target rested at the top.

"What's the target for?" Lila had to ask. Next to swords, bows were her favorite weapon. Lady Ganondra had her trained in both since she was little.

"I'll tell you inside," Zale replied, guiding her to the door. Mori followed the two without a word.

Inside was a lot cooler, much to Lila's relief. A few round tables were scattered around the room, most of them filled. There were also a few chairs and tables against the walls. To the right, a goron stood behind a counter, taking someone's order. When Lila and Zale walked in, he looked up with a smile and a wave. Everyone sitting looked lean and fit.

"This place is pretty popular," Lila commented.

"Yeah, mostly for the view. Come on, we order over here." Zale took her hand and led her to the counter, where they stood behind the other person ordering. Lila's arm tingled at his touch, especially the back of her hand. He didn't let go until they had ordered and sat.

"So, about that target," Lila prompted.

"Right. You know the legend of the Hero of Time?"

"Bits and pieces."

"Did you know he was a great archer?"

Lila perked up. "No, I didn't."

"Once, the Hero came here to Kakariko, a long time ago. Back then, this old building was just a watch tower. A kid challenged the Hero to hit the pole at the top of the tower with his arrow, all the way from the spring in the south. No one thought he could do it."

"Did he hit it?" Lila asked on the edge of her seat.

Zale smiled. "Yup. Hit the pole right in the middle. The kid didn't believe him, so she went up to the tower to look. As the kid was almost to the top, the Hero shot another arrow, which hit right below the first one, just to show her he actually did it himself."

"No way!"

"That's the story," Zale finished, sitting back in his seat.

"Wow," Lila sighed. "I want—"

"You couldn't possibly do it," Mori grumbled.

"Sure I could!" Lila yelled back. The room went quiet for a moment, and she shrunk in her seat. Zale laughed.

"Way to make a scene," he joked.

"Shut up," replied Lila. Her face felt as hot as fire, even though everyone turned back to their food.

Zale said, "There's a huge reward, but no one has been able to do it since. You're probably strong enough. With the right bow and a light wind, I think you could hit the target dead in the center." That made Lila smile a little. Before she could reply, their food arrived courtesy of another goron. "Thanks, brother!"

"Anything for you, Zale-goro." The goron said with a smile. "Are you staying in town longer, goro? I didn't think you'd be coming in this morning."

Zale smiled at Lila, who blushed some more. "I might stay longer if I can help it."

The goron gave a hearty laugh. "Oh-ho-ho, I see, goro. Well, enjoy the food, goro!"

Lila glared at Zale as the goron walked away. He dug into his food, so it took him a few seconds to notice.

"What?" he asked, mouth full of the seasoned cuckoo.

"What was that about?"

"What?" Zale asked again.

Mori said, "Yeah. What do you mean you might stay longer?"

Zale put down his utensils. "Well, I was kind of thinking I could help you out, you know, with Volvagia."

Lila's eyes went wide. She shook her head. "Sorry, I think I heard you wrong."

"I'm serious! You know I'm smart, and I know some things about Volvagia. Not much, but some."

Lila shook her head more forcefully. "No way. I know some things about Volvagia, too, and I don't want to have to watch out for you if you get hurt. How would Hyrule feel if they found out something bad happened to you?"

Zale furrowed his brow. "Hey, don't bring that into this. I can handle myself. I don't need protecting."

"I think someone can give an argument on that."

"Yeah, me!"

Lila glared at Mori. "No, not you."

"What, Salvatore? Don't worry about him."

"I'm not," Lila argued, slapping both hands on the table. "I'm worried about you! You might jeopardize the mission!"

Once again, the room was silent. Even the goron behind the counter stopped whatever he was doing to watch the spat.

"Because I'm weak? I can fight my own battles!"

"Obviously, but you can't win this one! You are not coming, and that's final!"

Zale stood up. "Don't treat me like a kid! You know, maybe you're not such a good person after all. I knew you two were up to something."

"What does that mean?"

Zale threw a few rupees on the table. "It means you can take on Volvagia on your own. Eat that food; you'll need your strength." He turned and walked away, still fuming.

"That's it?" Lila shouted after him. "Fine, whatever. I don't need some mamby pamby prince following me around."

Zale stopped in his tracks and spun around on his heels. "What did you call me?"

Realizing her mistake, Lila's face went white. "A... a..." Her expression hardened. "I said you're a mamby pamby priss! What did you think I said? That you're a prince?" She barked out a laugh. "You're full of yourself." She almost saw the relief on Zale's face, but he was great at hiding it.

"You're the one who's full of yourself if you think you can take on Volvagia. But I don't care. Go fight that dragon, but don't come crawling back to me for bombs. For you, the store is fresh out!" With that, he stormed out of the restaurant.

Lila sank back into her seat, completely winded. She was glad Mori didn't say anything. At first.

"Eat."

She opened her mouth to say she wasn't hungry, but then her stomach grumbled loudly, and her mouth started to water. She grabbed the fork and dug in.

She had to close her eyes to keep from crying.

After eating, Mori flew anxiously behind Lila as she stormed down the lonely mountain path. He couldn't get a single word through her ranting.

"I can't believe that jerk! Why did he set me up like that? Did he seriously think he could fight Volvagia? He's an idiot if he does! And he has the nerve to call me weak. I was sent on this mission by Lady Ganondra herself! I am not weak!"

"You shouldn't say that so loud."

"If I were weak she wouldn't send me on these quests, you said so yourself. I had to work hard to get her approval. At least, I think I have her approval. She doesn't really tell me about her plans."

"Seriously, you should shut up."

"I don't even know what she wants with this stuff. What good will new chainmail and gauntlets do? They don't even fit her! Unless they're for me. Why does she want me to get this stuff? Maybe something big's going to happen."

"Lila, shut up!"

"That must be it. She must have a plan. I wonder what my role will be—"

Mori flew right in Lila's face. "Stop talking."

Lila blinked and stopped in her tracks. "What—?"

"You can't go mouthing off about the chieftess’s plans, even if you don't know what they are," Mori chided in a hushed tone. Lila had never seen him so angry. "Anyone can hear you out here."

"We'd see anyone—"

"We have passed several bushes and crevices where someone can hide. Now, will you be quiet?"

Lila's heart pounded. How could she have not noticed? It was the same situation as last night, only this time she was the one revealing secrets. She looked around, searching for anyone. She didn't see people, but the shadows seemed to jump out at her. She started running down the mountain.

How can this day get any worse?

Finally, she made it to the bottom of the path. People were milling about the town, everything so peaceful and normal. The valley floor was filled with laughing and talking. The sight made Lila sick.

"Let's get back to the caves," she muttered to Mori. She wasn't going to take any more chances.

"I couldn't agree with you more."

Lila kept her head down, but her eyes darted around, keeping a look out for anyone suspicious. No one paid her any attention, even when she passed Ruggy's shack. When she got to the entrance to the mines, she leaned against the rock and sighed in relief.

"Keep moving," Mori urged. "We should get into the secret tunnel."

Lila nodded and followed him. She looked around one more time to make sure she wasn't followed then slipped into the darkness. Lila lit her torch and followed the path. This time she kept her eyes open for any mythical bomb flowers. She really hoped Zale was right about them because she wouldn't be able to continue if she didn't find any.

It wasn't long before she came to the crater left from her first explosion. There she turned right and entered the lava room. Monsters of all shapes and sizes had crawled their way back into the chamber. One of them noticed her walk in and charged.

Lila had her sword out in an instant. The two-legged creature raised its club, and she knocked it out of its hands. As it looked for its weapon, she slashed its head off. It fell into a pile of dust, alerting one of its buddies. This one blew a horn, and two new ones came to attack her.

"Watch out! He's calling for backup!"

"Yeah, I got it," Lila muttered. As the two bokoblins charged, she ran at them, but only to get close to the one with the horn. At the last second, she changed direction, slashing at one of the bokoblins in her wake. She didn't bother to see if the monster disappeared and instead went right for the ally caller. The monster jumped and ran in the other direction on its stubby legs. It was no match for Lila's momentum, and it also fell to her blade.

Adopting a defensive stance, she turned around to the last creature. It was charging at her with sword raised, leaving room for an easy attack. Lila shifted her feet slightly so she could swing her sword into the monster's side. The momentum of the beast's charge caused Lila's sword to slice it nearly in half. Like the others, it disappeared in a puff of dust.

Lila let the tip of her sword drop as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her other hand. Now that it was safe, Mori chose to join her.

"Nice job," he chirped.

"No thanks to you."

"I warned you about the horn."

"I knew about it, weirdo. Not a help." She continued down the path, careful to avoid the lava flowing on her right. "But it's no different than any of my fights. You like to spout out useless facts I already know." The two of them arrived at a wall that looked as though it had been created by a rock slide. "Now the question is, which way do we go?"

"You seem to know everything. Why don't you figure it out?" Mori teased.

"Fine. I will." Lila promptly turned around to look for some clues. She noticed a few islands in the river of lava. By jumping from island to island, Lila could reach a protuberance that looked to have another pathway.

"That looks promising," she pointed out. Without waiting for a reply from the keesee, Lila carried out her plan. With a running start, she was able to jump on the islands to her destination. Perfect. Mori followed lazily.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

As Lila landed on the island, her foot sunk a little into a hole, and a door opened up in the wall. Inside the wall was a bomb, resting on a pile of leaves.

"I just confirmed the existence of Bomb Flowers," Lila gloated. She walked toward the flower, but the hole closed as soon as her foot left the hole. She ran forward, but it was too late. "Dang it! How am I supposed to get the bomb?"

"Maybe you should put a rock on the button," Mori suggested.

Lila got an idea. "Mori, come here for a second."

"What?" he asked without moving.

"Come look at the glyphs on this wall."

Slowly the keesee moved forward. "What's so special about glyphs?"

Before Mori could react, Lila snatched him out of the air and shoved him into the hole. He wriggled and shouted, "Hey!" but couldn't escape.

"Thanks for finally helping me," Lila teased, and then she snatched the bomb off from its bed of leaves. She stashed it in her bomb bag and walked back to Mori. Behind her, she heard a little sound and looked back to see the bomb flower growing another bomb.

"Hey, that's cool!" she said and took the new bomb as well.

"Are you going to let me out?" Mori complained.

"When my bag is full. Don't worry, it only holds ten bombs."

Mori grumbled incoherently just for the sake of grumbling. Once Lila had all ten bombs loaded in her pack, she finally released her companion. She then hopped back across the lava and to the weak-looking wall. This time Mori didn't follow her all the way.

In excited anticipation, Lila placed one of her new bombs in front of the wall and then lit it. She hurried back out of the blast radius and waited for the explosion.

There was a loud noise, a bright flash, and lots of dust. Once it cleared, Lila finally had a way to progress through the dungeon.

"Yes!" she cheered. "Let's keep moving."

"Alright, let's go then."

Lila peered through the opening to find more lava. To the right, the river of lava fell into a chasm and continued throughout the room. Islands stood much higher than in the previous room, and a large bridge was suspended above her about one floor up.

"Which way next?" Lila asked.

"Up."

"How?"

"You'll have to explore a little more, won't you."

Lila sighed, tired of arguing with Mori. "Okay, fine. Let's start this way."

After much time and plenty of fighting, Lila and Mori finally came to a door with a lock of similar size and intricacy as the one in the ice dungeon. She assembled the smaller keys she had collected and placed them in the locks, this time making sure to keep her toes out of harm's way. A blast of hot air, warmer than any other room in the dungeon, blew her hair and clothes back. Lila put her cloak to the side.

Lila crept forward on light feet. She worried the opening of the door had alerted him to her presence. A river of lava flowed into the room from the far end.

Lila quietly asked Mori, “Where are the gauntlets?"

"In the lava."

Lila sighed. "Of course. Which means we basically need Volvagia's help. Blast you, Ganondra!"

"Shh!" Mori hissed, but it was too late. The surface of the lava bubbled and boiled. A large red spike appeared, followed by two smaller ones, all three of which were connected by a ridge above a pair of eyes as big as Lila's torso. A massive snout came next, lava trailing over the sides. Soon the whole head had come free of the lava and rested level with the frozen Lila's eyes.

"You wish for my help?"

The dragon's voice was so deep it vibrated through the whole cavern and into Lila's bones. Even though Volvagia showed no aggression, she knew he was not pleased.

"I have just returned from an arduous errand for the Lady Ganondra, and you are disturbing my rest. What is it that a tiny thing like you could have the nerve to enter my dungeon to speak with me about?"

Mori nudged Lila between the shoulder blades. She was surprised he was still there, but also a little grateful.

"Lady–" Lila's voice came out pressed, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Lady Ganondra sent me to retrieve a special pair of goblets–"

"Gauntlets," Mori interjected.

"Gauntlets," Lila corrected. "She said they were here."

The lava parted behind the dragon's head. This time a log of a tail appeared. The tip wound around to tap Lila on the chest. Then it stayed there, a pressure slowing Lila's breathing.

"She sent you?" Volvagia said slowly.

Lila licked her dry lips, searching for something to swallow, and nodded. "Yes... sir," she croaked.

The tail retreated, and Volvagia hummed. "She sent you..." he repeated.

"Um... yes, sir. She also sent me to get the Chainmail of Imperviousness from Gyorg."

Volvagia's eyes flickered. "Did she, now?"

"Yes, sir." The phrase seemed to help, or at least Lila hoped it did.

"Then you won't mind if I test my claws on you." The dragon showed them for effect.

Lila paled and stumbled back. "Wh-why?"

"If the chainmail is truly impervious, you won't feel a thing."

Lila's back met the wall. She hadn't realized she was moving because Volvagia was as close as ever. Now he was closer. He touched her chest again, this time with a razor-sharp claw.

"If I ate you, would the chainmail stick in my teeth?"

Lila managed to counter, "It might hurt your teeth. "

Volvagia chuckled. "If it is indeed impervious. I would like to test it out."

Lila ducked to the side. She had to scurry to avoid the fingers trying to grab her. As she rolled onto her feet, she pulled out her sword.

"I am hungry," said the dragon. "Let me eat you."

Lila continued to dodge the claws and tried to jab in return. "Lady Ganondra – sent – me. Don't – make her – angry."

Volvagia's tail wrapped around Lila's chest. She gave a startled scream and thrust her sword down. It bounced off his scales, and the jarring made her drop it. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"My own scales are a bit impervious." Volvagia brought Lila so that she was dangling right in front of his snout. "It sure does hurt my teeth when I bite myself." He dropped her to the ground. Though her legs shook, she quickly rolled away.

"Fine, you can have it." Volvagia kept one eye on her as he used his tail to retrieve something from under the lava. "I tire of this game." He released a treasure chest that looked like it was made from his scales. When it hit the ground, it clanked like…

"Are the gauntlets in there?" Lila asked.

Volvagia was already retreating into his lava bed. "Yes, yes. Just go. I wish to sleep."

Lila opened the chest to find a sack. She snatched up the bag and left before he had a chance to change his mind.

"One last thing," he said. "Tell Ganondra to leave me alone for a few decades."

"I can't believe we made it out so easily," Lila remarked when they were safely out of the caves. She breathed so much easier now that she was away from the stifling heat.

"If he was actually hungry," Mori pointed out, "he wouldn't have even talked to us. We would be in his stomach right now."

"Correction: I would be in his stomach. I don't recall you being there very long."

Lila took a shower back at her hotel room and then headed up to relax in the hot spring. She half expected to see Zale, but the spring was empty. At least she could be alone. Except for Mori.

∴

Back at Lady Ganondra's castle, Lila knelt in front of her without Dalni.

"Ah, there you are, Lila," Lady Ganondra said when he noticed her. "I assume you were successful?"

"Yes, I have the gauntlets right here." Lila held up the bag.

"Excellent. Those will help you where you're going next."

"You still trust her to go alone?" Kotake asked. She had been eyeing Lila angrily the whole time.

"Oh, Kotake, you know she won't see the boy again," Koume chided.

Lila's face drained of blood. They knew about Zale. How could they know about Zale?

"I will handle it, ladies," Lady Ganondra said. Lila couldn't tell how he felt about the news, and that made her more worried than anything. "Lila, I'm sure you need some rest. Please leave us alone for a while."

Yeah, she was mad. She was going to hurt her. Lila left the room without saying a word. Maybe she could get one last decent meal before she dealt her punishment.

"Be sure to say nice things at my funeral," Lila said to Mori.

"She said you're going to another place," the keese replied. "She's not going to kill you. She might not even be angry with you."

"You were right. I should never have talked to Zale. Maybe I should run away."

"Lady Ganondra would find you."

Lila sighed. "I know. She has eyes everywhere, obviously."

Kotake and Koume were gone when Lady Ganondra called Lila. She walked slowly into the throne room, her head hanging low. Mori left her, as always.

"You met someone on your trip." It wasn't a question. "Prince Zale, of all people." Lady Ganondra paused. Lila cringed, waiting for her fist.

"What did you think of him?"

Lila looked up. She still couldn't tell how Lady Ganondra felt. She thought carefully about her answer. "He was smart... but cocky. Also, he let his guard down easily."

Lady Ganondra relaxed back in her chair. "Interesting. Is that all?" Her black eyes burned into Lila. Did she know what she couldn't believe herself?

"He... well, my Lady, he told me about bomb flowers. They helped me a lot."

Some understanding passed over Lady Ganondras face. "I see. Did he tell you anything else?"

Lila shrugged. "A few things, but nothing important. "

"Perhaps you could get him to tell you more things, more important things."

Lila couldn't believe what she was hearing. The chieftess wanted her to spy on Zale. It's what she told herself she was doing to begin with. The only problem was that she liked Zale too much. She didn't know if she could betray him.

Unfortunately, the only other option was saying "no" to Lady Ganondra.

"If I ever see him again," Lila said, "I will do as you ask."

"You will see him again, or you will face the consequences. "

Lila's throat closed in.

She nodded.

Lady Ganondra's demeanor changed to a more relaxed, settled one. "Excellent. Then you will first go to Castle Town to do some scouting. Familiarize yourself with all the back alleys and passages. Try to get into the castle without the guards noticing you. Get as far as you can, but do not risk getting caught. If anyone, especially the prince, sees you, the whole mission could be jeopardized. Understand? You are not to converse with Zale inside or near Castle Town."

"Yes, I understand," Lila said quietly.

"Good. There will be time for him later. After Castle Town, you will return here to the Gerudo Desert. You will use the gauntlets to remove a boulder hiding a secret chamber in the south. You'll know when you see it. Watch out for skeletons."

Lila didn't quite know what she meant, but she only asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes. You will find the Boots of Sturdiness in the desert. Now go."

Lila bowed. "Yes, ma’am."

The path to Castle Town was pretty much straight through Hyrule Field, and therefore uninteresting. The town was split into six sections. An outer wall hugged an inner wall about ten feet across. Guards stood in various spots within the gap and upon the walls, but they looked bored and lazy. There hadn't been any conflict in Hyrule for decades; most of the soldiers probably haven't been in real combat.

Inside the inner wall, the town was divided into four quadrants and the center of the city. Each area buzzed with people, but it wasn't as crowded as Kakariko Village, for which Lila was grateful. Castle Town was small enough, it didn't need a bunch of people pressed together.

As far as she could tell, all of the soldiers who should have been patrolling inside the town chose to congregate in the taverns. The sheer number of bars surprised Lila the most. While Kakarikohad maybe two, Castle Town boasted two taverns in each quadrant. The town was not protected in the least. That was something Lady Ganondra would like to know.

Then again, she had sent Lila to Castle Town to orient herself, not give him details of its weaknesses. With that in mind, she began seeking out various pathways from each gate to the castle, which she had not yet seen. She wanted to discover other ways to the castle other than the main gates. The main entrance to the castle was foreboding with guards and openness. It was maybe the only well-defended location in all of Castle Town.

Mori was the one who found the sewers.

"Really? Sewers?" Lila complained. They stood – or flew – outside the entrance.

"Really. Secret tunnels," Mori replied with snark. "Your mission."

"Alright, alright. Sheesh."

Once underground, Lila was immediately accosted by a miniblin, its tiny spear jabbed into her kneecap.

"Ow!" she shouted and kicked at the offender. Several others swarmed to take its place. "Get away, fiends!"

"Meenp meenp!" they shouted back.

She pulled out her sword and swiped at the miniblins, but they stepped back from her blade as easily as though she was moving through a thick liquid. Frustrated, she growled, "Go away! Mori!"

"What can I do?"

"I don't know! Something!"

Mori flew down in front of the miniblins and flapped his wings hard. That was enough to scatter the miniblins, hopefully for good.

"Thanks. I don't know why that worked, but thanks."

"You're welcome, I guess."

The two continued through the sewers. Most of the muck flowed along the bottom, and ledges allowed for clean travel. ("Thank the Goddesses.") The miniblins poked around but didn't approach again. ("Annoying little demons.")

When Lila and Mori exited the sewers, they were in a prison.

"Is this the castle prison?"

"Must be. I don't know of any others in or near Castle Town."

"Nice. Now we know how to get in."

"But how do we get into the actual castle?"

"Um..." Lila pointed down the one way they could go. "That way, of course."

"It's probably guarded."

"Probably not. Why would they defend empty cells?"

"They probably know about the entrance to the sewers."

"Oh. Good point." Lila stopped walking. "Wait, what's this?"

Where she had stopped, there was a small opening that was hardly visible. Mori flew into the space, and his wingspan fit perfectly. Then he disappeared.

"Where'd you go?"

"Come in and find out."

Lila stepped into the opening. She couldn't see a thing and placed her hand on the wall. With her fingers trailing, she followed the sound of Mori's wings. Her foot hit something.

"It goes up," Mori supplied.

Lila took the stairs. They went up about two stories and then there was an arrow hall, still pitch black. At the end of it, she bumped into the wall. She would have panicked if she didn't hear Mori on her left.

"Hurry up!" he muttered.

"We've been over this," Lila replied, going up even more stairs, "I don't have lechonotation like you."

"Echolocation."

"Whatever! I'm blind here."

"Poor humans."

"Poor armless keese."

"Hey!"

Lila chuckled. This stair wound in a spiral and seemed to go on over twice as long as the first one. When they finally reached the top, Lila's foot fell hard on the floor. "Ooh, that was a jolt."

"Shh, I can hear voices."

"Really?"

Lila walked forward slowly, trying to calm her breathing. She kept one hand on the wall and the other outstretched. Slowly she began hearing what Mori was talking about. She gasped.

"Zale..."

"Shh!"

The talking stopped. Lila's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe Zale was within hearing distance. Her heart pounded, making her ears ring. She wanted so badly to see him again, but she didn't know why.

A girl's voice said, "I didn't hear anything. Zale, keep telling me the story! How did the Hero save the Zora?"

"Well, Zelda, he had to get eaten by a giant fish."

The girl gasped and squealed. She giggled, and Lila could imagine her rocking back and forth in laughter. "You're teasing me!"

"Nope, it actually happened. The Hero was swallowed by Jabun."

"Lila, let's go."

Lila knew this story. She didn't care to hear it. She just couldn't stop listening to Zale. She closed her eyes and felt tears. Maybe if she made a loud noise, she would at least have an excuse to talk to Zale, to see him.

She shook her head slowly. Such thoughts were foreign to her. She didn't know why she was thinking this way.

"Okay."

She turned around and left.

Lila knew how to see Zale.

She knew how to see and talk to Zale, but she couldn't. It wasn't safe, for him or herself. On the one hand, she had to speak with Zale because Lady Ganondra demanded it. On the other hand, she wanted to talk to Zale because she liked him. On the first hand, talking to Zale meant exposing his secrets. On the second hand, talking to Zale meant exposing hers.

For a brief moment, Lila wondered if that would be so bad.

"You're crying."

Lila blinked, then closed her eyes tight. She stopped in the middle of the staircase and sat. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled her knees to her chest.

Mori hovered in the air, feeling useless. Lila wasn't physically hurt. She wasn't hurt at all, as far as Mori could tell. She was confused in a way he didn't know how to help her.

"Mori, what do I do? What's wrong with me?"

He didn't answer because he didn't know what to say. Instead, he told her, "We need to go."

Lila bit her cheek. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't let... this... paralyze her. She was strong and chosen to take on these tasks.

"Let's go."

They continued on in silence. Neither of them said a word all the way until they were outside the sewer. Lila was too lost in thought, and Mori couldn't find a way to break the tension. Once the sounds of busy town life were all around, she couldn't brood any longer.

"So," Lila said with false cheer, "other than Gauntlets of Strength, is there anything I will need in the desert?"

"Water..." Mori answered cautiously.

"Ah, yes. The source of all life. Perhaps..." she chose the first store she saw, "Malo Mart will offer a refreshment."

"Malo Mart?"

"Absolutely. Come, dear keese. Let us buy ourselves some water."

Bewildered, Mori followed Lila as she walked – brisk but stiff – into a large store labeled "Malo Mart."

Like the city itself, Malo Mart wasn't as filled in as its Kakariko counterpart, but there were still quite a few patrons. Lila browsed through the shelves. There were arrows, but she didn't see any bows. She found bombs, but they were a lot more expensive. Then she looked behind the counter. That's where she found the good stuff... or where the good stuff should be.

"You only have slingshots?" Lila complained to the tall man behind the counter. He had a pointed chin, perpetually raised eyebrows, and a mouth that looked like he was sucking lemons.

"Did you not see the rest of our wares?"

"I mean, you don't have any bows?"

"Ah, yes, we are awaiting a shipment."

She crossed her arms, peeved that she would have to wait. "How soon?"

"Next week."

Lila slapped the counter. "Come on! I can't stay in Castle Town that long!"

The man's face became a little sourer. "I cannot get it any faster. Is there anything else you would like to buy?"

Lila sighed and looked through her purse. She had lots of money to burn. "Fine, I'll get a slingshot and... twenty Deku seeds. Plus a bottle of oil."

The man's eyes lit up as he added the total. "That will be two hundred rupees. If you buy just ten bombs, I'll give you a second bottle at half price."

"No way, your bombs are overpriced."

"Free! I'll give you the bottle free." He looked desperate.

Lila thought it over. Ten bombs cost half the price of a bottle, so it was a really good deal. "You have a deal."

"Thank you! That brings your total to two-hundred eighty rupees."

"Hey! You said the bottle was free!"

"Did I forget to tell you it's free with twenty bombs?"

Lila jiggled her purse. "Whatever. I don't need any of this stuff." She turned to leave.

"Don't go! Two-hundred forty. Your total is two hundred forty!"

"What does that price include?" she asked carefully.

"Everything." His shoulders slumped in defeat. "The slingshot, twenty Deku seeds, a bottle of oil, an empty bottle, and ten bombs."

"Perfect. Here are your two-hundred forty rupees," she said, satisfied. "Lower the price of your bombs, and you won't have this problem anymore. They're only ten for ten in Kakariko."

"I knew it," the shopkeeper mumbled.

"What was that?" Lila asked angrily.

"Sorry for your trouble?" His eyebrows went even higher.

"Uh-huh, sure. Just give me my stuff."

Reluctantly, he handed over Lila's purchases. She checked and double-checked to make sure everything was there.

"Remember, the bows will come in six days!"

"I doubt I'll be here," Lila said under her breath as she left. Outside Malo Mart, she complained to Mori, "Wow, what a swindler!"

"I'm surprised you even bought the Deku seeds. You can find those or any other ammo on the ground."

"I know, but it was convenient."

"To most people, so are the bombs."

"Who would need them in Castle Town?"

"Excavators."

"What?"

"They make way for new buildings."

Lila looked at him like he was crazy.

"It's true. Someone has to do it."

"You're so weird, Mori."

"Yet you still hang around me."

"Shut it. I'm going to the desert. Coming with?"

"Do you realize the sun is setting?"

"So?"

"We ought to sleep for the night before going on an adventure."

Lila thought for a moment. "We'll sleep in the castle."

Mori wobbled up and down. "Are you crazy?"

She rolled her eyes. "Our castle, silly."

"Oh..."

They left Castle Town by the entrance they used. Of all things to happen, Zale was waiting for them.

Lila moaned. "I thought he was in the castle," she whispered to Mori.

"You spent a lot of time in Malo Mart," Mori said.

"I guess." Lila sauntered forward. She called to Zale, "Are you stalking me?" She felt herself glaring. "What do you want?" Lila demanded, crossing her arms.

Zale held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I thought we might talk.”

"Yeah?" Lila said, coming a little closer. "About what? About the awful way you treated me in Kakariko Village?"

A frown replaced Zale's smile. "Did I do something wrong?"

Lila was right in his face. "You only made me look like a fool!"

Zale looked confused. "From my side, you seemed to be the one attacking me. If anything, you should be apologizing."

"Me? Apologize?"

"Well, I did pay for the food..."

"Ugh!" she shouted, storming off a way. "Why are you so difficult?"

"I could say the same of you." Zale shook his head. "But, I don't want to. I just want you to get past that, and we can start over. Think you can handle that?"

Keeping her back to him but not moving away, Lila chewed her lip in frustration. Was there really use in arguing? She found she didn't have much else to say. "Well, I guess so." She turned around, and his smile was huge. For a moment she saw his true feelings. That smile made all of her anger melt away. Only to be replaced with the ache of betrayal.

"Is something wrong?"

Lila took control of her emotions... or at least tried to. "No, nothing. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

"What trouble?" Zale said with a cheeky smile. "We're starting over, remember?"

It took a moment, but Lila finally smiled. "Oh, right. Well, if we're starting over, is there anything you need to tell me?"

Zale thought it over. "Hm... How about, I like to read?"

Lila laughed. It was an easy laugh she wasn't used to. "Nice. I like to fence."

"My favorite food is an egg salad sandwich."

"My favorite color is green."

"I travel a lot."

"So do I." Lila couldn't help herself anymore. She burst out laughing like a child. "This is..."

"Fun!" Zale finished, also laughing.

"Yeah." Her mirth faded as she realized she wasn't able to name the feeling. The last time she had fun was... "What's your family like?"

"My family?"

"If you don't mind me asking. Mine is horrible."

Zale sobered. "Is that why you travel?"

"Something like that."

When Lila didn't offer anymore, Zale said, "My family is a little weird, too. My dad was upset that I was a boy, and my mom—"

"He was upset about that?" Lila asked, amazed at the coincidence.

"Yeah. Women are traditionally more honored in my family. My dad went through the same hardship."

"I see. What about your mother?"

"She died before I was old enough to know her."

That made Lila wonder about the girl Zelda, but didn't think now was the time to bring her up. She said slowly instead, "We have a lot in common."

"How so?"

"I was expected to be a boy.”

Zale paused, seeming to take it in. "I see."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I gotta go, anyway. I still have to travel for a while." The sun was behind the mountains already.

"Where are you going?" Zale asked.

"Ho – Gerudo Valley." Lila worried he heard her slip up. He looked a little suspicious. Maybe.

"Well, I'm sorry to have kept you so late. I guess... I'll see you around?"

A small, sad smile forced its way onto Lila's face. "Yeah, maybe."

Zale nodded. "It's decided. I'll see you again."

Lila was confused but... happy. "Okay."

"And, Lila."

"Yes?"

"Have courage."

Lila stayed silent for a long time. She ran hard and fast, both to get home quickly and to avoid talking to Mori. She didn't quite understand what Zale had meant when he told her to have courage. Courage for what? Why did she need it? Why was he telling her she needed it? Why did the word give her so much warmth?

Once they reached Gerudo town, Lila went to the kitchen to get something to eat, then went straight to bed. Mori, however, wouldn't leave to let her get dressed.

"You told him a lot."

Lila faced away from him. She sighed, "Yeah. I couldn't help myself. But at least he told me a lot as well. Mori, do you know... was I kidnapped?"

Mori perched on the back of a chair at Lila's desk. "I don't know. Lady Ganondra tells me fewer secrets than she does you."

Lila had one other question, but she felt unable to ask. Mori might not even know the answer. She started with, "I think I was kidnapped. I can't imagine who would willingly give their child to Lady Ganondra."

"You're probably right about that as well."

"Where..." she sighed and looked down. "Where are my real parents?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, either. I'm sorry, Lila." She thought he was done, but then he said, "I've never seen you so happy than when you were with Zale."

Neither of them spoke. Lila had no idea how to respond to that, and Mori seemed to be done talking finally. He watched her, her head down and eyes dark. He wondered what was going through her head.

When he got tired of waiting, he flew out with the last words, "Get some sleep."

∴

Around noon, Lila woke up well-rested. She went to the dining hall for some lunch and then left for the next dungeon. The trip only took a little more than half an hour. She recognized the place because there was a giant boulder like an egg sitting on the ground. She could dimly make out the mountains on the other side of the valley.

"I hope the boots aren't under that."

"Actually, that's exactly it," Mori answered. She groaned, but he said, "That's what the Gauntlets of Strength are for."

Lila gave him a disbelieving look. "No way I can lift that."

"Dear, the gauntlets are magic."

She shook her head. "If you say so." She pulled on the gauntlets and walked up to the rock. She examined it doubtfully, then put her hands under it – which was easy. Just by using her fingers, she could make it wiggle enough to fit her hands. Then she lifted.

The boulder seemed to weigh nothing. She brought it right up above her head and saw a stairway. Then she dropped the rock off to the side.

"That was weird!" Lila said, not at all worried about her mount. "C'mon, let's go."

"You're not afraid someone will trap us inside?"

Lila took off the gauntlets and waved them in Mori's face. "Who could possibly do that?"

"Fair point."

The two went down the stairs. At the bottom was a sun-bleached door. "I wonder," Lila said, "how long that boulder has been here."

"Who knows."

"However long, this has been here longer."

"How do you know?"

She gestured to the door. "This has been aged by sunlight. I have a feeling there's no sunlight under a boulder."

"Well, aren't you the smart one?"

Lila ignored him and pushed the door open.

"Let's find us some footwear."

As the stairs continued down, the air became much colder, though not as cold as the ice castle. It was a relief after the blazing sun over the desert. Eventually, they came to another door. By then, Lila had to light her lantern.

"What do you think is on the other side?" Mori asked, remembering the trap in the ice castle.

"Let's find out," Lila replied while opening the door.

"What if it's another trap?"

She didn't even hesitate. "This isn't a trap. C'mon, scardey!" She didn't look back; she was too interested in the massive cavern in front of her. It appeared to be lit by sunlight, but she honestly couldn't tell if there was a ceiling. It seemed like magical sunlight.

The cavern spiraled downward like a mining facility. At the bottom, a lone building stood among old wood and other ruins. The place looked ancient.

Mori had finally entered. "What is this place?"

"Big," Lila replied. "Let's see what's down there." She took off running.

"Wait!"

She didn't. "Are you scared?"

"No... This doesn't seem right."

"We'll be fine. Don't be so paranoid."

When she reached the building, something shuffled out. It was human in form, wearing destroyed armor, carrying a round, spiked shield, and wielding a broadsword. Whatever monster it was, it didn't move very fast so it would be easy to kill. Lila readied her sword.

"Let's duel," she challenged.

"Lila, wait! That's a—"

When the knight saw her, it screamed. Lila was instantly paralyzed. Her muscles all tensed and her ears rang. The knight continued to shamble toward her slowly, so slowly. If only she could move! The wait was agonizing. It was almost to her when she felt her body relax, though every part of her tingled. She lunged.

Her sword somehow hit the shield. She pulled back to strike again, but the scream came first. This time the knight would get to her before its paralyzing effects wore off. Her heart raced, and sweat gathered on her forehead.

The knight's sword hurt when it hit her undefended arm. The knight struck right below the sleeve of her chainmail. It was strong enough to push her back several feet, and she fell to the ground. The sword was rusty and blunt. If she didn't get it cleaned, the wound would get infected.

Though it was hard, she could move again. The knight was closing in, so she had to get up. She used her elbow to get herself on her feet and then bolted away from the knight. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Mori was also frozen.

Lila managed to get quite a way before the screamer let out another wail. Her next run, she hoped, would get her out of its range. Her bones felt jarred and rattled; her muscles rigid and sore; her nerves taut and frayed. She wanted to get away from the knight and never see another.

And then she was free. Lila hightailed it to the next tier of the cavern without hearing another screech. Looking back, the knight had turned around and headed to the shack. Mori also managed to get away and joined her. She was glad the helpless keese hadn't become a target.

Lila dropped to the ground, letting her sword and shield fall. She put her sword hand to the wound, trying to hold back all of the blood. Her arm felt useless. It was times like these she wished she had a companion with opposable thumbs.

"I tried to warn you," Mori said, winded. "That's a ReDead Knight. I guess now you know what's bad about it..."

"Yeah, thanks for the wisdom," Lila snapped. "I don't suppose you can stitch up wounds!"

Mori backed away. "I tried..." he repeated.

"Sorry," Lila managed.

She pulled out a bottle of water and poured it over her injury. It made a big bloody mess that didn't look much better, but it was something. She felt lightheaded as she picked up her sword and used it to cut some cloth from her tunic. With a shaking hand and her teeth, she tied it as tight as she could around her arm above the cut. The blood flow slowed a bit, but her vision blurred. "Mori, I think I'm in trouble."

There was no reply. Lila looked up. Her sight was rimmed with darkness as she glanced around.

"Mori?"

Her keese friend was nowhere to be found. Lila blinked a few times and fell back. Her breathing was hard and ragged.

"Get back here..."

Everything around her faded until she couldn't think anymore.

The first thing Lila did when she woke up was yawn. Before opening her eyes, she heard someone else breathing. The breathing was quiet and calm. Whoever it was was asleep.

Lila opened her eyes to see none other than Prince Zale. It seemed she couldn't get away from him. Still laying on the rocky ground, Lila watched his peaceful sleep. He was sitting against the rock wall, a backpack rolled behind his back. He looked like he hadn't meant to sleep that way.

"Lila!"

Mori's voice startled her. She sighed and turned her head to see him.

"How do you feel?" he asked, landing next to her.

"My head hurts, and so does my arm, but mostly I'm okay."

Zale grunted and shifted. "Mori," he mumbled, "let her sleep."

"Do you mean let you sleep?"Lila joked.

"No, I'm keeping watch," he answered with closed eyes.

Lila whispered to Mori, "Thank you for finding him. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Back off!" Zale roared, springing awake. When he saw only Lila and Mori, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. "You're up."

"So are you," Lila said with a smile. "Thank you. I don't know what would've happened to me if I didn't get help."

Zale sighed in relief. "If Mori hadn't shown up when he did, I might not have found you. You were lucky. I'm glad you're okay."

Lila sat up with Zale's help. "How long has it been?"

"About a day," Mori answered.

"Drink this," Zale said, handing her a water skin. "But only a sip."

"Why only a sip?"

"In case you can't tolerate it yet. You vomited a few times last night."

"Oh. Oh, I'm hungry."

"Start with the water." Lila did as he suggested, then handed back the skin. Zale said, "Keep it. You need to take lots of sips until you're ready for food."

As Lila recovered, she struggled with wanting to move on but being too weak to. On top of the wound and sickness, sleeping on the ground made her body ache all over. Moving too much made something new hurt afresh.

"Do you want to come with us?" Lila asked a few hours later.

"You didn't want me when you fought Volvagia," Zale countered.

"I was mad back then. If you join us, I wouldn't mind the company."

"Is that a good idea?" Mori wondered.

"Sure it is," Lila replied. "Zale just saved my life, give him a little more credit." When Mori didn't say anything else, she wondered if he was thinking about Lady Ganondra.

Zale said, "Yeah, I'll come with you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for something. Actually, I don't know where to look exactly. Mori, any suggestions?"

"I sensed something near the Knight, but this place is so large I can't tell if it's what we need."

"What is it you're looking for?" Zale asked.

"You'd think it was silly."

"Try me."

"A pair of boots."

Zale had no answer for that. He looked befuddled.

With a laugh, she said, "I told you. Come on. Let's get going."

"Lila, you can't be serious," Zale said, reaching out to stop her. "There's no way you can fight a ReDead Knight in your condition."

She ignored him and started gathering their things. "Who says I have to fight it? We'll just go around—"

"You misunderstood," Mori interrupted. "TheReDead Knight is guarding whatever I sensed, so yeah, you do have to fight it."

Still, Lila packed her bags. "It'll be okay. I've gone through worse, you know it."

"No, Lila, you're staying away from that thing," Zale said. "I'll take care of it."

Finally, she stopped to look at him. "Like you can take on a fully armed, decrepit soldier."

"Yes, I can. Look inside my pack."

"What?" Lila laughed.

Zale crossed his arms. "Go ahead."

Lila shook her head but went to his pack anyway. It didn't take her much to find something wrapped in leather. She pulled it out and unwrapped it.

"A crossbow?" she said skeptically. "With your arms?"

"Looks can be deceiving." He put his hand out, so she passed over the crossbow. "Let's finish cleaning up, and I'll show you."

"Well that explains the shape of his bag," Mori commented.

Lila asked Mori, "Tell me you don't believe he can do it."

"He didn't believe you could beat Volvagia."

She felt her face get hot. "That... that's different."

"You keep telling yourself that."

Zale chuckled under his breath.

Once they were all set, Mori led the way to the knight's derelict home. They stopped where an old rock wall provided some coverage.

"How do you propose luring it out?" Lila asked as Zale readied his crossbow.

"Well, I could do it if you really—"

"Fine, I'll do it!" She pulled out her sword and rounded the rock.

"I meant Mori—"

"Just have my back."

Zale sighed. "Right behind you."

The sound of steel dragged across packed dirt alerted Lila to the knight's presence. She redirected all attention towards it, ready to jump out of the way of its scream.

"Lila, you're blocking my shot," Zale warned.

"I won't be soon," she muttered. The knight was close enough. Lila lunged before it could mount an attack.

"No!"

Her sword hit the knight's shield arm but didn't go through all the way. Its arm went limp, but Lila's sword was stuck. The knight brought up its sword to attack. She dodged to the side and shouted, "Now!"

An arrow went clean through the knight's eye. It jerked back, giving Lila the added strength to free her sword, and then released its terrible wail.

With Lila frozen once again, Zale let loose another arrow. This one pierced the knight's throat. The scream diminished into an ugly gurgle, and the knight fell. Zale ran to Lila before the paralysis wore off.

"Are you okay?" he asked frantically, searching every inch of her. "Come on, snap out of it!"

Slowly she started to regain feeling. She tensed and relaxed what muscles she could to speed up the process.

"I'm all right," she said. "Don't act so worried." She took a step back and rotated her shoulder to get the blood flowing.

"But I am worried about you—"

"Don't, Zale," Lila warned. "I can handle myself." She walked to the mostly-standing house. "But thanks for having my back."

"You're welcome."

Zale and Mori followed her. Inside – if only three standing walls could be considered an inside – there were pieces of chairs, a table turned on its side, and a bar on the far end. Nearly everything was caked with dirt around it.

"I don't see anything worthwhile in here," said Lila.

Mori answered, "Check behind the bar."

When she looked, she found a chest that appeared older than the building. When she tried to open it, it wouldn't budge.

"Looks like the hinges and lock have rusted shut," Zale observed.

"That's easily solved." Lila thrust the hilt of her sword onto the offending metal until each broke off. Then she wedged her blade in the crack and pried it open. "Done."

"That doesn't look like a pair of boots." Zale pulled out a musty bag of the same color as the interior of the chest. He held it open for Lila.

"What the heck is this?" she asked.

"It's a boomerang," Mori and Zale said at the same time.

Lila raised an eyebrow at them. "And... what's a boomerang?"

"When you throw it, it comes back," Zale answered first.

Mori added, "You can use it to stun enemies."

"Like a ReDead Knight?" Lila asked.

"Yes," they said together again.

"Could've used this yesterday."

Every time Zale made himself useful, it took Lila by surprise. His crossbow was especially handy. Lila made a point to use her new boomerang whenever possible, but sometimes she charged in without paying attention. That's when Zale showed her up with his patience by staying back to snipe from behind. They ran into many more ReDeads and demonic miniblins

After a particularly foul-mouthed encounter with a hoard of miniblins, Zale asked, "Why do they get you so worked up?"

Mori answered, "Because they're more afraid of me than her." He and Zale laughed at Lila's furious expression.

"No! Just look at them! They viciously mock you as they run away with your money! Stop laughing!"

Zale wheezed, "I'm sorry, Lila. You're just so funny when you're angry."

"I'm not sorry," Mori chuckled.

Lila stormed off to fight the next monster.

Once the four keys were assembled, the trio entered the boss room. As usual, the circular room appeared empty. The ground was the same dirt and rocks as the rest of the dungeon, complete with remains of archaic structures. These structures, however, looked a lot more downtrodden than any of the others they had seen. Along part of the curved wall, the ornate design of a giant archway was etched nearly to the ceiling.

"Do either of you know what's in here," Lila asked.

"Nope," said Zale.

"Boots," Mori replied.

"Well that's just so helpful," Lila remarked, stepping further into the room. As she did, the entire place started to rumble. Bits of rock fell from the ceiling, and an opening slid out from the arch. The rumbling was so violent, no one could take a step until it was done. From the shadow of the arch, an enormous skeletal creature came forward.

Lila heard a sharp intake of breath. "That thing exists?" Zale wondered.

She pulled her sword from its sheath. Without looking back at him, she asked, "What is it?"

The skeleton had five segments, each of which looked quite menacing. The bottom seemed fine, except it was a boulder probably ten feet tall. Three black sections of the same size were stacked on top of the block. Claw-like bone stuck out at the corners, and in the center were red, button-like gems. Last was the head, appearing as tall as Lila and Zale combined. It was a helmeted skull with the same gems for eyes and more bony spikes.

"Skeldritch."

Staring at the grinning head, Lila ran ahead, ready for action.

Zale shouted, "Wait!"

She rolled her eyes and turned around. "What is it this—"

For the umpteenth time, she felt her muscles snap to rigidity. She could see some amusement on Zale's face as he readied his bow. It seemed like he was being deliberately slow, but maybe that was because she couldn't see her assailant. Even so, his arrow hit the mark long before she was freed.

Another smaller rumbling was heard. With worry clear on his face, Zale rushed to Lila. She wondered what could possibly be happening, but she could only just barely start to feel the numbness wearing off.

The boulder hit before Zale got to her. Lila lost her breath as she was trampled under the fast-rolling rock. She lay dazed, not breathing.

"Lila!"

After several seconds she finally took a breath. Zale slid to a stop next to her. She clutched at her head where the boulder hit, her vision sparkling.

"What... was that?"

She struggled to get up. In doing so, she saw another rock blast out from Skeldritch's base.

"Zale!"

Lila rolled out of the way. At the same time, Zale looked back and then stumbled in the other direction. The rock missed them by inches.

Breathing slowly, Lila's aching body finally supported her weight. She had to keep her hands on her knees because her back was too sore to stand up right away. She glanced over to Zale to make sure he was okay. He was already running to her.

Lila hissed, "Don't worry about me. Figure out how we kill this thing."

"You can't fight in your condition," Zale insisted. "Let's get out of here and come back—"

"No!" She hid her pain by straightening her back, even though it hurt more. "We're doing this now."

The two saw another boulder just in time to step out of its way. Zale caught Lila when she swayed, but she pushed him off of her.

"I can handle this," she told him with a glare. "If you can't, leave me alone."

He studied her. "Fine. I have a theory."

"Spill."

"There are bomb flowers all around the edge of the room. Maybe that means you need to throw one into the hole that's shooting these rocks."

As he finished, they had to move out of the way of one.

"Okay," Lila said, "I'll try that. You... shoot at its eyes or something."

"I don't—"

"Just do it!" She hurried to the nearest bomb, hoping he wouldn't follow. It was bad enough having him save her life over and over again. She hated him coddling her now and that she practically needed him. She wasn't used to relying on others, and it was degrading.

At a row of three bomb flowers, Lila turned back to see Zale had at least done as she asked. Skeldritch wasn't paying any attention to her. Zale's arrow hit the monster in the eye, and it became enraged. Bright red beams shot out from its gems, converging right in front of Zale. He didn't have time to get out of its way.

"No!" Lila's heart jumped to her throat as he screamed and fell back. She knew the only way to save him was to follow their plan. She grabbed each of the bombs, stuffing two in her bag. The third she held as she charged at her enemy.

"Leave him alone! It's me you want!"

Skeldritch turned to her. Its gems no longer glowed, but the hatch for its rock attack opened. Perfect. She ran around the oncoming boulder and aimed. The bomb flew in just before the hatch closed.

"Yes!"

The monster rattled as puffs of smoke came out of its base. The hatch fell open, so Lila wasted no time launching another bomb. This one blew the base apart; Skeldritch's body dropped down a segment.

Lila ran forward and attacked the first gem on a hunch. After a few seconds, it began to glow. She jumped out of the way, hoping she had done some damage.

When the laser attack ended, Zale suggested, "Aim for the head with your boomerang!"

Lila looked up and backed away. She was glad he was okay. Once she had a better view, she threw her new toy. It successfully hit Skeldritch on the side of the head. Its eyes crossed as though she had knocked it senseless.

"Now attack again!" Mori chimed in from... somewhere. No need to tell her twice. She charged with her sword aimed at the gem. This time it shattered, leaving a hole in its place. Lila dropped a bomb in and hurried away. The section burst just like the previous one.

Zale distracted Skeldritch, allowing Lila to collect more bombs. Now that they knew its pattern, the last two black segments went down quickly. All that remained was the angriest-looking skull Lila had ever seen. Unsure of the next step, she met up with Zale. Both were huffing and puffing from the battle.

"What do we do now?" Lila asked. Her eyes never left the enemy for a second.

"I'm wondering if there's a weak spot under its helmet. Maybe you can remove the eyes like the other gems."

They paused to get out of a laser attack from the eyes.

"Do you think there are holes behind them?" Lila asked.

"I'm almost certain of it. You might have to destroy both eyes."

Lila smirked. "No problem."

She had to wait for it to stop trying to crush them. Skeldritch used its jaw to jump around the room, landing with a loud thud each time.

Finally, it seemed to have worn itself out. Lila charged and slashed at its right eye. It shattered in seconds. Skeldritch opened its jaw in a huge scream, knocking Lila back by the sound alone. She covered her ears, worried they might burst. Once it finished, it charged at her with unknown speed, gnashing its teeth. She barely managed to scramble out of its way.

She watched it zoom past her and then turn around in a wide curve. Dust and gravel spewed in its wake. Lila hurried to stand so she was ready when it reached her. She took a deep breath to steady herself. In the distance, she could hear both of her companions screaming her name.

Skeldritch's head charged right into Lila's level sword tip. Though she tried to hold her ground, it knocked her right over again. At least she was successful. Now the monster was left with two gaping holes instead of glowing red eyes. Ignoring the ever-rising pain, Lila forced a bomb down each hole. She somersaulted away from the writhing monster.

Bang!

She turned around to see the helmet fly across the room, just as Zale had predicted. In its wake, a much larger red gem rested in place of a brain. This was it. Lila was almost done.

Running around the skull, Lila positioned herself in front of the gem and started slashing. Each hit rang hollowly in her ears and reverberated through her sword up her arms. This gem took a lot longer, but she could see chips of it jump away after her hits. At some point, Zale joined her with his own sword.

A hole formed until it was big enough to fit a bomb. Lila emptied the rest of her bag into the hole and then pulled Zale away. They ran without looking back. Just before the bombs blew, Zale grabbed Lila from behind. They fell to the ground, Zale shielding her from the impact.

Shards of bone, glass, and iron rained down on them. Lila rolled the two of them out of the way when a large piece came down. She kept herself on top until Zale had to do the same thing. Finally, all was quiet.

Their eyes locked. Every breath was ragged and dry, but their bodies were warm against each other. Lila lightly held Zale's tense arms and caressed them absently. She glanced at his lips. He stroked her cheek. Then his nose touched hers…

"Are you okay?" Mori roared.

Zale shot right off of Lila. Startled, she hurried into a sitting position. Lila watched Mori; Mori glared at Zale; Zale eyed Lila carefully.

"I'm fine." As she said it, she felt her mind cloud over. With the action over, her body began shutting down.

For once, Zale got angry. "Lila, you are clearly not fine! You need to be more careful!"

As he spoke, she staggered to her feet. She didn't brush off his help this time.

"Where're the Boots?" she asked Mori.

"In the crater you left when you annihilated Skeldritch."

With blurred vision compounded by the dust hanging in the air, Lila cast her eyes about for the hole Mori mentioned. She was only able to find it because of something glittering at the bottom.

Despite his anger, Zale helped her over. She sighed when she saw a pair of boots made entirely of iron, along with a red heart that had been the source of the glittering. Her hands shook as she reached out to the heart. It vanished in a cloud of sparkles. A wave of exhaustion coursed through her.

"Okay," she said, "all done."

She collapsed in Zale's waiting embrace.

The next time Lila woke was to the rocking of a gentle horse under her. Her arms rested in Zale's lap while her head bounced on his shoulder. She felt so warm with him so close, even though the sun was nearly gone from the desert.

"How do you feel?" Zale asked softly.

She replied with, "What happened?"

"Skeldritch had you pretty beat up," he explained. "Mori and I let you rest for a while, then we packed up to go to Castle Town. I think he's asleep right now."

Zale's answer brought the memories back. Before she knew it, she began to long for that moment alone. Experimentally, she pressed her lips to the exposed part of his neck. She thought she could feel him smile.

"How long do we have to go?" she asked after a spell.

"At this pace, it will take all night."

Lila inhaled the night air. "We should probably make camp, then. Have you slept at all?"

"A bit." He stopped the horse. "But you're right. It's getting late."

He helped her down and put a hand on hers. She looked at him, confused. He wore a soft smile, causing her to relax.

"You were amazing back there," he said, leading her away from the horse. "I know few soldiers who would keep fighting as you do."

"I thought you said I needed to be more careful?"

"You do, but there's also something special about you."

Lila frowned slightly, worried about where his line of thought led.

His thumb stroked her hand. "You healed really fast. Even after getting rolled over by a rock bigger than you are tall, I didn't find a single broken bone."

That surprised her. "It felt like something broke. What about my head?"

"There was dried blood, but you were fine."

"Oh! Maybe that's what those hearts do," Lila realized. "I always felt refreshed after touching one of those. They only appeared after major battles like this one."

Zale's eyebrows went up. "That's remarkable. I've never heard of anything that could speed healing that quickly. Well, other than fairies."

Lila smiled playfully. "You seemed to know a lot of obscure things. Why not this one?"

He shrugged. "Maybe because they're rare. Maybe they only appear to fighters who show courage."

There it was again: the word that felt like a hot bath at the foot of a volcano. It was a happy word, a word of promise, but it brought her guilt and confusion. How could a simple word evoke such uncertainty?

"I can recall some stories of heroes like you," Zale said, sensing her hesitation. Lila took a small step back. "These heroes showed great courage. They fought many monsters like you have." She started shaking her head and pulling away, but he plowed on. "They went through challenges and trials to become stronger, so they could do what they were called to do!"

She could see the excitement in his eyes, but every word brought up fear she didn't know she had. What he was saying couldn't be applied to her. Shouldn't be applied to her. She took her hands away from his. The activity startled Mori awake.

"Hrnm, whatsa...?"

Zale gave him no attention. His eyes stayed locked on Lila. "These heroes were called to save Hyrule. Lila, you—"

"No!" she burst out. "I-I'm not who you think I am. I'm not... I just can't." Without letting Zale say more, she ran away, toward Gerudo Town.

"Wait!" Zale shouted after her. He hurried over to his horse and began the pursuit. He only paused to let Mori hitch a ride. However, his horse struggled to move in the sand, and couldn’t go much faster than Lila on foot.

"Lila, stop! Let's talk about this!" Instead, he saw her running faster. He pushed his own horse. Maybe the only way to stop her was to catch her.

Gerudo Town became visible in the night air. Lila knew if she could pass its borders, Zale wouldn't be able to follow. The all-women Gerudo tribe were born and bred warriors who didn't like outsiders – especially Lady Ganondra's enemies. She could already see a few sentries watching from their posts, all but one of which were hidden from untrained eyes.

Zale had gotten quite close to her when she crossed the threshold. In her wake, two Gerudo appeared from out of the shadows, halting him. His horse reared as he pulled on the reins. His mouth fell slightly open. Lila saw concentration in his eyes, almost as if he were calculating the reasons she could be safe in Gerudo Village. Then his gaze shifted to her.

The mix of emotions in Zale's expression stung Lila more than she thought possible. His brow was furrowed, but only a little, and his mouth remained agape. His eyes were no longer calculating, but searching, searching for the Lila he expected, the hero he longed for.

Lila felt her lower lip quiver and a heat sting her eyes. What was she doing? Why did Zale's words terrify her this way? Why couldn't she just sit down and listen to him and be happy and be the hero he wants?

Because of Ganondra. The Shadow Chieftess had too tight a grip on her heart. A stranglehold.

Zale must have seen the realization cross her face because he set his jaw, his own decision made. Another second passed. He nodded, ever so slightly. Then he turned his horse away.

The entire exchange took only a few seconds, but each second, each thud of her heart, felt like it lasted a lifetime. Once Zale was out of sight, the sentries looked up at Lila's still form. She closed her eyes for a moment and then gave them a watery smile. The women nodded before returning to their posts. Lila wasn't sure what each nod meant, but Zale's somehow gave her something new.

Hope.